Pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to the decline in islet function during the development of diabetes. Cytokines can disrupt insulin secretion and calcium dynamics; however, the mechanisms underlying this are poorly understood. Connexin36 gap junctions coordinate glucose-induced calcium oscillations and pulsatile insulin secretion across the islet. Loss of gap junction coupling disrupts these dynamics, similar to that observed during the development of diabetes. This study investigates the mechanisms by which pro-inflammatory cytokines mediate gap junction coupling. Specifically, as cytokine-induced NO can activate PKC␦, we aimed to understand the role of PKC␦ in modulating cytokine-induced changes in gap junction coupling. Isolated mouse and human islets were treated with varying levels of a cytokine mixture containing TNF-␣, IL-1␤, and IFN-␥. Islet dysfunction was measured by insulin secretion, calcium dynamics, and gap junction coupling. Modulators of PKC␦ and NO were applied to determine their respective roles in modulating gap junction coupling. High levels of cytokines caused cell death and decreased insulin secretion. Low levels of cytokine treatment disrupted calcium dynamics and decreased gap junction coupling, in the absence of disruptions to insulin secretion. Decreases in gap junction coupling were dependent on NO-regulated PKC␦, and altered membrane organization of connexin36. This study defines several mechanisms underlying the disruption to gap junction coupling under conditions associated with the development of diabetes. These mechanisms will allow for greater understanding of islet dysfunction and suggest ways to ameliorate this dysfunction during the development of diabetes.Diabetes is characterized by a progressive decrease in function and mass of ␤-cells, which comprise the majority of cells in the islets of Langerhans (1). Pro-inflammatory cytokines have been implicated as mediators of ␤-cell death in both type 1 diabetes (T1D) 2 and type 2 diabetes (T2D) (2-4). However, pro-inflammatory cytokines also play a role in causing ␤-cell dysfunction early in disease progression (3, 5). In T1D, high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF-␣), interleukin-1␤ (IL-1␤), and interferon ␥ (IFN-␥), are released by immune cells, such as CD4 ϩ and CD8 ϩ T-cells and macrophages, which infiltrate the pancreas (3, 6). In T2D, adipocyte stress resulting from obesity can lead to secretion of low levels of circulating TNF-␣ from activated macrophages in adipose tissue; whereas elevated free fatty acids and/or hyperglycemia can also lead to local release of IL-1␤ in the islets (4, 7). Although the mechanisms of cytokine-induced cell death in diabetes are well characterized, cytokine-induced islet dysfunction is poorly understood.In vitro, the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-␣, IL-1␤, and IFN-␥ work synergistically (8) to induce islet dysfunction and disrupt insulin secretion (9, 10). The effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines on the ␤-cell is thought to be mediated in part by...

Key pointsr Gap junctions provide electrical coupling that is critical to the function of pancreatic islets.Disruptions to connexin36 (Cx36) have been suggested to occur in diabetes.r No accurate and non-invasive technique has yet been established to quantify changes in Cx36 gap junction coupling in the intact islet.r This study developed fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) as a non-invasive technique for quantifying Cx36 gap junction coupling in living islets.r The study identified treatments that modulate gap junction coupling, confirmed that the cellular distribution of coupling throughout the islet is highly heterogeneous and confirmed that α cells and β cells do not form functional Cx36 gap junctions.r This technique will enable future studies to examine the regulation of Cx36 gap junction coupling and its disruption in diabetes, and to uncover potential novel therapeutic targets associated with gap junction coupling. AbstractThe pancreatic islets are central to the maintenance of glucose homeostasis through insulin secretion. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is tightly linked to electrical activity in β cells within the islet. Gap junctions, composed of connexin36 (Cx36), form intercellular channels between β cells, synchronizing electrical activity and insulin secretion. Loss of gap junction coupling leads to altered insulin secretion dynamics and disrupted glucose homeostasis. Gap junction coupling is known to be disrupted in mouse models of pre-diabetes. Although approaches to measure gap junction coupling have been devised, they either lack cell specificity, suitable quantification of coupling or spatial resolution, or are invasive. The purpose of this study was to develop fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) as a technique to accurately and robustly measure gap junction coupling in the islet. The cationic dye Rhodamine 123 was used with FRAP to quantify dye diffusion between islet β cells as a measure of Cx36 gap junction coupling. Measurements in islets with reduced Cx36 verified the accuracy of this technique in distinguishing between distinct levels of gap junction coupling. Analysis of individual cells revealed that the distribution of coupling across the islet is highly heterogeneous. Analysis of several modulators of gap junction coupling revealed glucose-and cAMP-dependent modulation of gap junction coupling in islets. Finally, FRAP was used to determine cell population specific coupling, where no functional gap junction coupling was observed between α cells and β cells in the islet. The results of this study show FRAP to be a robust technique which provides the cellular resolution to quantify the distribution and regulation of Cx36 gap junction coupling in specific cell populations within the islet. Future studies utilizing this technique may elucidate the role of gap junction coupling in the progression of diabetes and identify mechanisms of gap junction regulation for potential therapies.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract